How Acupuncture can help the effects of Chemotherapy

How Acupuncture can help the effects of Chemotherapy. Most of you all know my philosophy, “Try everything until you find what works best for you.” It is estimated that 11 million people across the country are suffering or diagnosed with one form of cancer or another. The effects of the treatment of cancer can sometimes be far worse than the patient or their family ever thought. Acupuncture has been used for since the invention of chemotherapy to treat the side effects of the chemotherapy. Many hospitals are even adding Acupuncture to their provided services to help those people going through chemotherapy. Here is a great news article about Acupuncturists working in hospitals, http://www.nbc-2.com/story/15696599/health-matters-using-acupuncture-for-side-effects-of-chemotherapy. The most common side effects of chemotherapy as reported by the National Cancer Institute include; Anemia, Appetite Changes, Bleeding Problems, Constipation, Diarrhea, Fatigue (Feeling Weak and Very Tired), Mouth and Throat Changes, Nausea and Vomiting, Nerve Changes, Pain, and Swelling. Many people are affected by these common side effects however, many people do not know that Acupuncture can effectively help those patients manage or resolve the life limiting side effects of chemotherapy. Recent research in the Journal of Complimentary Therapies in Medicine concluded that, “Acupuncture shows great potential in the management of cancer-related fatigue” (Molassiotis). It has also been studied from the department of Oncology in Hamburg Germany that, “Acupuncture as applied here seems to be effective in preventing nausea and vomiting in pediatric cancer patients” (Gottschling). The research is clear that Acupuncture can help those people suffering from the effects of chemotherapy and improve their quality of life as well as to limit their negative effects from the chemotherapy. One of the most common and proven effects of Acupuncture for chemotherapy is the decrease in Nausea reported from chemotherapy patients. In fact this is one of the main reasons health insurance companies cover Acupuncture for the treatment of the side effects of chemotherapy is because of the exhaustive research on the effectiveness of Acupuncture to resolve or manage the nausea caused by chemotherapy. If the evidence supports the use why not use it? If you know of anyone suffering the effects of chemotherapy let them know that there is help out there. Again, our philosophy is that you should try everything until you find what works best for you.